A legendary Formula One car with a rich racing history is primed to find a new home. A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196, piloted by both Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, is part of a collection being sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum through RM Sotheby’s throughout 2024 and 2025.
Fangio, a five-time Formula One champion enjoyed great success behind the wheel of the W196. Introduced in 1954, this technologically advanced car featured a 2.5-litre inline-eight engine delivering 257 horsepower.
The W196 offered for sale boasts a unique history. Initially built with an open-wheel configuration, Fangio raced it at a non-points event in Buenos Aires in 1954. Later, it received a streamlined body for the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where it was driven by another F1 legend, Stirling Moss. Following its racing career, Mercedes used the car for testing before donating it to the museum in 1965.
This W196’s estimated selling price is expected to significantly surpass the $29.7 million fetched by another Fangio-driven W196 in 2013. Current estimates suggest the hammer will drop somewhere between $50 million and $70 million.
